Meeting of Fate
by Autmn and Winter
Summary: While patrolling, Faith meats a strange woman who she's sure she's met before.


Title: Meeting of Fate  
Author: Autumn  
Summary: While Faith is out patrolling she happens to meet with a young woman who she's never met before and   
yet feels connected to in some strange way.   
Feedback: I love to hear what you think of my stories, whether it's good or bad. So if you have a comment   
E-mail: Nimue_2@hotmail.com  
  
The world's a strange place, life is strange, people are strange. I've understood these things all my life, but sometimes life surprises you…Oh, by the way, my name's Ebony…Now, you might think that's a rather odd name and I'm quick to agree that's very true…at least to humans, but it suits me and I like it…I should also point out that I'm not actually human, although I like to take on human form as often as I can…I'm actually a dragon…Now, before you start getting all judgmental on me, I'd like to point out that I'm not at all evil, most of my kind aren't…I'm a young dragon, so I'm expected to eventually take a human into my care for one human lifetime, but first I have to be requested to aid in protection, it's sort of a rule…I have several potential charges, but none of them know about me yet…Although I did meet one unexpectedly once…Fate is an odd thing…Let me tell you about it…  
I do a good amount of travelling…I like to keep moving. I tend to be slightly restless and feel that I always need to be doing something…My travels have taken me from one end of the Earth to the other and back again and to almost every city, town and village that has a name…and some that don't…I heard a rumor that my sister would be in one smaller city called Sunnydale, so I thought, 'What the hell? Haven't seen her in a while, I'll go check it out…' Well, she wasn't there. I later found out that it was in a few months to come, but I thought I'd stay for a while anyway. No point having traveled all that way just to pack up and set off again…That and I wanted to check out a few of the sights…(what there were of them) and take care of a few demons if I got the chance…Seems Sunnydale is on a charming hole called a Hellmouth…Not much fun amounts from that…I found out that the aunt of a personal friend had recently bought a house there, so I went to say hiya and she ended up inviting me to stay…As I said, Fate is a crazy thing…One night I was just walking through a cemetery…I've always liked cemeteries…don't ask me why…I guess it's kind of, well…morbid…but, like the night, they always seemed kind of peaceful and quiet…Yes, I'm a strange person, but oh well, everyone is a little strange. As I was weaving my way through the headstones I passed by a young woman…She had dark brown hair and dark eyes…and not surprisingly…at least to me…she was dressed in dark close fitting clothing. At first I paid her little mind…I tend to avoid humans, I don't know…They tend to be unpredictable and they fear us dragons as much as we mistrust them, but as I continued on I felt an odd feeling…almost like a connection to her that almost seemed to draw me back. I stopped a second to glance over my shoulder at her and then turned back to catch up with her…  
**********  
I've met plenty of weird people in my short life, but there's one that sticks out in my mind…It was before all that shit that happened in Sunnydale, but after I'd actually arrived there…It was one of those nights I was given the job of patrolling instead of old B. I was wandering through the graveyard and I passed by another girl, about my age. She had long, waist length, black hair and she was really small. If I had felt like it I probably could have easily taken her…We passed each other, her ignoring me, me ignoring her, but after a while as I continued through the graveyard I could hear someone sneaking up on me from behind. I spun around, stake poised, ready for the battle, and came face to face with that same chick…She eyed the stake a moment and then spoke in a strangely calm, cool voice…  
"Put that damned thing away…"  
"Not until you tell me why the hell you were following me…" She crossed her arms defiantly.  
"Just…do it," she replied. I had an urge to stake her anyway, the over confident bitch, but I didn't. I lowered the stake still glaring at her.  
"What do you want?" I demanded…I never really trusted anyone, human or other, and I did not trust her…She shrugged.  
"Just to talk," she said. She leaned back against a headstone, regarding me with an almost lazy stare, "We could hang here," She gestured with a fluid motion,"or we could go get a coffee or something…" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously…There was something weird about her…but I couldn't quite put my finger on it…  
"As long as you're paying," I finally replied.  
**********  
'Ah, so she's a slayer,' I thought as she lowered the stake still glowering at me…I could sense she still had an urge to kill me though…'Good luck,' I thought, 'One twitch and I could kill you, maim you or, preferably, turn you into some harmless animal…' This is why dragons prefer to avoid humans and I could tell just by looking at her that she wasn't quite playing with a full deck, …I knew right away that she would have serious difficulties down the road if she didn't have someone close to talk to, to keep her sane, so to speak…and I could sense that she didn't even have that…Humans are funny, they tend to keep people at arms length even while they wish they had someone to be close to. Anyway, I invited her for a drink and she accepted, so long as I was paying…I had already planned on that, I doubted that she carried much money or even had any…  
**********  
We finally found ourselves at a small café. I had suggested the Bronze, but she had dismissed it absently with a wave of a hand. She said something about not liking large groups of people or something. We both ordered coffee and then she rested her chin on a hand and looked at me with the brightest, bluest eyes I'd ever seen. They were an impossible dark blue…In the dark they'd looked nearly black.  
"So…" she finally said, pulling strands of jet coloured hair away from her eyes with her free hand, "how long have you been here?"  
"A couple weeks…" She nodded as if that was the answer she'd been expecting.  
"What brought you here?" I shrugged.  
"It sounded like an interesting place," I answered. She smiled, but there was something in the way she looked at me that told me she didn't believe me…She knew something about me that she was pretending she didn't, I was sure of it…  
"Oh, by the way," she said suddenly, "my name is Ebony…"  
"What kind of name is that?" I demanded.  
"A damn good one," she snapped back, "and it suits me well."  
**********  
'Rude and sarcastic,' I thought as I watched the brunette after she attacked my name, 'still I like her…Why? Because I get the feeling that she'd act no different even if she knew my 'little' secret.'  
"So," I said after a moment or so, "I never did catch your name…" she let out a low chuckle.  
"What makes you think I'm about to tell you?" I shrugged.  
"I told you mine, it's only fair…and I bought you coffee…" She narrowed her dark eyes at me and I did the same.  
"Faith," she said, "my name is Faith."  
"See that wasn't so hard, was it?" I said, "Well, it's nice to meet you Faith."  
**********  
'She is so weird,' I thought as I watched Ebony, but it was strange; I kept getting this crazy feeling. It was kind of like a connection, almost as though we'd met before, but I knew we never had. I eyed her warily as she sipped at her coffee. I found it kind of odd that she seemed to know so much about me. I don't mean that she implied that she knew; it just seemed that almost every time she asked me a question, she appeared to be satisfied with my answer, as if that was exactly what she had been expecting me to say. I began to wonder if she knew I was a slayer and then I began to wonder…I had detected a slight accent earlier as she spoke. I think it sounded Scottish…or Irish…I wondered if maybe she was from the council…maybe my new Watcher, but maybe the council had decided to go covert…not let me know that they had assigned me a new Watcher. I quickly pushed that thought from my mind though. She seemed way too young to be a Watcher…I was sure Ebony was barely older than me…and she seemed way too fun loving in comparison to stuffy old Giles…Still, I could sense that there was something strange about her…She wasn't a Vampire, I knew that…so what was the secret I knew she was hiding?  
**********  
I was beginning to recognize suspicion in Faith's dark eyes. She knew something was up. I smiled to myself.  
'Don't trouble yerself, lass,' I thought, the speech and accent I'd picked up during my long stay in Ireland beginning to surface in my thoughts, 'You'll not be learning my secret today…' I quickly forced myself back into American mode. I couldn't make the mistake of speaking one way one minute and another way the next. I distractedly pulled strands of my raven dark hair away from my eyes and smiled at Faith. I could tell her that I was a sorceress…that would sate her curiosity I was sure, but I knew that I would have to deliver it with tact…wait until the topic came up…It wasn't just something you blurted out, out of the blue.  
**********  
That smile, that secretive smile. It drove me crazy. It only added to my curiosity. I planned to learn Ebony's secret before we went out separate ways for the night and I assured myself that I would, if I had to, beat it out of her. She glanced around the crowded café and sighed.  
"You know what, it's getting kind of full in here," she said suddenly, "Wanna go?" I noted that she could change her expression as quickly as some people could change the topic of a conversation. The sparkling gleam in her deep blue eyes had given way to a sort of dull bored look. I shrugged.  
"Whatever," I muttered, "It's your call."  
"All righty," Ebony smiled, the bored look still in her eyes. She paid for the coffees, complete with a pretty generous tip, at least according to my standards, and we headed out. I was eager for some slayage, but I didn't want to risk revealing my true nature to her. Of course, it figured that she'd suggest cutting through the graveyard.  
**********  
"Hmm," I murmured thoughtfully as we walked. We passed by the cemetery and I saw a chance for us to both reveal our 'secrets'…well me part of mine anyway.  
"Let's cut through the cemetery," I suggested.  
"Why?" demanded Faith. I shrugged, becoming aware that I did that a lot.  
"I don't know…That was what I was doing when we met…That, and I happen to like cemeteries…" She gave me a peculiar look I couldn't quite read…"Don't ask," I quickly added. She consented, surprisingly. I had been expecting her to fight about it…huh…so we turned into the cemetery.  
'Vampires,' I thought, 'how I hope you're out tonight.'  
**********  
I was the first to notice them. Two or more Vamps hiding in the shadows to either side of us. I mentally dared them to try it. I could take on at least four by myself I'd say, so two…no biggie. The strange thing was, Ebony also seemed to know they were there and she showed not even a trace of fear. After a few minutes that seemed like ages to me, the Vamps attacked. I expected Ebony to scream and run or something, but instead she just stared the Vamp down…I wondered of she was one of those people that, in stead of running, froze in the face of fear, like a dear in a car's headlights. Even while I was battling the other Vampire, I noticed how perfectly calm she seemed.  
'Creepy,' I thought to myself. I had never seen anyone face down a Vampire with such an air of cool indifference…Not even B. Suddenly as it approached her, I felt the air fill with an odd sort of…energy, is the only thing I can describe it as. It was almost like the way the air feels just before a big lightning storm. The Vamp hesitated a moment, I guess it felt the way the air seemed to tingle too…I don't know. Anyway, the thing suddenly went flying across the graveyard and it hit a tree where a spike, what was left of a branch, was sticking out…I'm talking right through the heart and it was dusted, just like that. I couldn't believe it. I quickly finished off my own and then turned to Ebony.  
"That was…well it was…wow!" I stammered. I think it was the first time I was at a loss for words. Ebony smiled.  
"Comes in handy," was all she said.  
**********  
We walked almost the rest of the way through the cemetery in silence.  
"So, tell me," Faith suddenly said, "how the hell did you do that. And, don't deny that it was you…" I stopped and seated myself comfortably on a headstone and regarded her thoughtfully.  
"It's just a little thing I do…" I replied.  
"But how?!" she demanded.  
"Well, I…now, you wouldn't believe me…" I smiled to myself getting a wicked enjoyment out of Faith's frustration.  
"Try me," she growled  
"All right. That, my friend, was telekinesis. I just so happen to be a sorceress…Adept at working magic…I've almost completely mastered my skills…" Faith didn't reply. I think she was a little shocked…Gosh and I thought she knew all about that stuff being a Slayer and all…  
**********  
A sorceress, well that sure explained a few things.  
"What else can you do?" I asked after a few moments of silence.  
"Now, that, dear girl," Ebony said, "would be telling…"  
"Of course it would," I snapped back.  
"Mmm hmm, and I do need some secrets of my own, just as you do." I arched my eyebrows.  
"You know?" I asked.  
"That you're a slayer? Yes. I figured it out as soon as you pulled that stake on me…As you can see it would've done you little good if I had really wanted to harm you…" I smiled  
"It still woulda been interesting to find out." I said.  
"Maybe, maybe not…I'm not much of one for serious fights…" Ebony chuckled softly. She sure was strange, but I was starting to like her just the same…It was kinda hard to explain, but it didn't really matter that much. She seemed to be willing to accept me as I am. It was weird, but I almost got the feeling that she knew more about me than even I did…Maybe it was that bottomless, piercing blue gaze of hers. It almost seemed to me that she could read what was in my mind, heart, and soul. It really was the craziest feeling.  
**********  
I smiled softly to myself…finally Faith was growing to trust me…took her long enough. I levered myself up off the stone and tossed my long, black hair over my shoulders. I looked up at the star-studded sky. The night was growing old, I could sense the dawn…It's an ability similar to that of Vampires' abilities to sense the sun rise hours before it comes so that they can be well in hiding before the sun's first glow of false dawn appears on the horizon. I looked to the moon; it would probably set in a half an hour or so.  
"Well," I said looking to Faith, "it seems to be getting on in hours…It'll be daylight soon, I think I'm about ready to call it a night…"  
**********  
I looked over at Ebony when she spoke. Maybe there really was more to her than just being a sorceress. Seemed she was pretty eager to get home before sunrise.  
"Why does it matter?" I demanded…She looked at me, a funny expression crossing her face.  
"Don't do that," she snapped, "I'm not a demon, I swear by that which gives me all my power…I'm not in any way evil…so relax…"  
'Hmm,' I thought, 'seems I've struck a nerve.'  
"What's your deal?" I demanded. She gave me a look so serious that it almost seemed that she'd aged several hundred years.  
"My family has been thought to be evil for so long that if I even sense suspicion I get my back up…no big deal…and anyway, I probably need more sleep than you do…I'm a sorceress, not a super hero…I need sleep. I just want to get home to bed before the sun is totally up…" She shook her head, her long black hair rippling like liquid smoke or something. God I envied her. I had to admit to myself that she was the most beautiful person I'd ever met…in fact she was unnaturally beautiful…It wasn't just unusually, it seemed unlikely that anyone could have such a perfect, flawless look like hers…but oh well…maybe she was just really really lucky. She gestured to the entrance to the graveyard…  
"Well," she said, "I'm going to head back home…I guess I'll see you around…"  
**********  
I left Faith and headed off on my own, but before I was even ten feet away, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see that she was chasing after me. I arched an eyebrow.  
"Patrol's getting old," she stated, "and it's kinda too late to go to the Bronze. My apartment is off in this direction…I'll come with you…Well, unless you don't want to hang with me anymore." I smiled.  
"Nah, be my guest. I don't know anyone else here anyway…so why the hell not…?"  
**********  
Ebony and I wandered the near empty streets for awhile, headed in the direction of my cheep, seedy motel…It still blew me away how confident she was. She walked as though she owned the streets…I mean I pretty much did too, but she was almost half my size…She was tiny. It was still hard for me to believe that teeny, tiny Ebony, who probably looked like easy prey for every demon, Vampire and even perverted serial rapist, could have the power she did…but I'd seen her use it and I'd felt it…She was probably as strong as me, I'm sure…huh. We found ourselves outside my motel.  
"So, this is your place?" she asked. I nodded. She looked up at it a bit disgustedly…"Not a very nice place…" I shrugged.  
"It's better than the streets…" Ebony also shrugged.  
"I guess…" she said, "Well…it was nice meeting you, Faith. I don't hang out with people very much…Tonight was…refreshing…" I smiled, she was weird, but God was she a nice person; even nicer than B and her Scooby Gang. I swear to God that I'd never met anyone like her before…that is maybe other than my Watcher…and I never have since…  
"How long you staying here?" I asked.  
"I'm probably leaving in a day or so, unfortunately."  
"Oh…" I was a bit disappointed, no one had ever treated me the way she did. I could tell by looking at her that she was pretty high class…and yet it didn't seem like she was just lowering herself to my level…" Well, I guess I'll just say that I'll maybe see you around…"  
"Oh, I have no doubt about that," she said with that secretive smile, her eyes glinting with mischief again. She glanced up at the lightening sky; "It's going to be a nice day…Oh, and good luck…"  
"Huh?" she grinned at me and turned away, heading down the street…Had it been my imagination, or had she had fang-like canine teeth? I shrugged to myself…must've been me. I watched as she walked down the street as the sun was just coming up, and as I watched I swear, she just vanished into nothingness…And I don't mean she burned up like a Vampire…I mean she was there one minute and then next she wasn't. I shook it off though…Probably just a trick of the light, or my mind playing with me…I'd pulled all-nighters three nights running…I decided that it was just exhaustion and I turned into my motel…It was a weird, but interesting encounter…and I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't the last I'd be seeing of her either…Weird, isn't it? 


End file.
